DOH to provide Negros Occ more teams to aid in Dec 15-17 vax drive

FILE PHOTO: Bacolod residents get their COVID-19 shots at a vaccination site set up at a shopping mall in the city. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Health (DOH) is providing Negros Occidental with additional teams to help boost its three-day massive vaccination drive against COVID-19 from December 15-17.

Negros Occidental, which has the largest population among the provinces in Western Visayas, still has 825,777 persons to vaccinate to reach herd immunity, the DOH reported Monday.

Negros Occidental has vaccinated 999,593 or 54.76 percent of its target population of 1.82 million with at least one dose, and 534,968 or 29.31 percent have been fully vaccinated.

Bacolod City has vaccinated 376,114 or 91.58 percent of its target population of 410,701 with at least one dose, and 315,669 or 76.86 have been fully vaccinated.

Bacolod City still has 34,587 individuals to vaccinate to hit herd immunity, the DOH said.

A Negros Occidental vaccination performance report as of December 10 showed Cadiz City with the highest percentage of individuals who received their first jabs at 78.42 percent followed by Victorias City with 76.18 percent.

Victorias City had the highest percentage of fully vaccinated individuals at 56.58 percent.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the DOH-Western Visayas is providing Negros Occidental with 11 teams, each with three nurses to augment the December 15-17 vaccination drive.

The DOH teams will be deployed in Kabankalan City, San Carlos City, Bago City, Himamaylan City, Cauayan, Sipalay City, Hinigaran, Moises Padilla, and Toboso towns.

The provincial government is also deploying 14 vaccination teams to augment the vaccination drive of its towns and cities, Diaz added.